Three-way transmesis in EnJoe Toh’s Matsunoe no ki

Abstract

The postmodern novella Matsunoe no ki (The Matsunoe family; or, Branches of the Pine, 2012) by the Japanese writer EnJoe Toh falls within the category of what Thomas Beebee (2012) calls “transmesis,” here taking the specific form of a metafictional and metanarrative exploration of author-translator relationships. One feature that distinguishes this instance of transmesis is that the fictional author and translator both take on each of these roles, thereby blurring the boundaries between writing and translating. In addition, a brain injury leads to a dissociation between the cognitive functions of reading and writing in one of the protagonists, resulting in effect in three distinct personas. This further complicates this representation of author-translator relationships and highlights the separate but interrelated components within and across the processes of writing and translating.